Disappearing gun-carriage.



No. 871,708. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

J. KRONE.

DISAPPEARING GUN CARRIAGE. APPLIGAIIION rum) APR. 30. 1907.

1": NORRIS PETERS co. WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED BTATEB PATENT @FFTQE.

JOHANNES KRONE, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED; KRUPP AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19,1907.

Annlication'filed April 30. 1907- Serial No. 371.060.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANNES KRONE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Essen-on-the-Ruhr, Germany, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Disappearing GunCarriages, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to disappearing gun-carriages and in particular to that type having its platform provided with an armor-deck, the object of the invention being to construct the armor-deck in such a manner hat the gun-barrel which swings from the leading position to the firing position and vice-versa requires a much shorter aperture than in the armor-decks of known construction.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing by the way of example.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the carria e in the loading position, some parts being shown in elevation and the firing position of the barrel being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig; 1, looking from the left; and Fig. 3 is a plan view with some parts omitted.

he disappearing gun-carriage shown in the drawings is of the type in which the gunbarrel A (Fig. 1) is mounted in a carrier B which consists of two parallel swings and which automatically swings upon firing and is held in the firing position or returned thereto after firing, by means of a counter-weight C. Elevating rods D serve for elevating the gunbarrel.

The circular platform E, on which are arranged the bearing for the barrel-carrier B and the guides for the counter-weight C etc, rests rotatably on a ball-bearing track F. Arranged below the breech of the gun-barrel, when the barrel is in the loading position, is a second platform G which is connected with the platform E through the slope K. The platforms E and G and the slope K carry a vertical wall extending around the carriage and upon which rests the armor-deck J J 2 J. he foremost horizontally extending part J of the armor-deck is located below the gunbarrel when the barrel is in the loading position, and the also horizontally extending rear part J of the deck is located above the gunbarrel when the barrel is in the loading position. Both of these parts are connected by means of a central inclined part J In the parts J and J an aperture or loop-hole i is provided, the position and dimensions of which are so selected that the gun-barrel, the barrel-carrier B and. the elevating rods D can just swing through the aperture. That part of the aperture 11* that is located in the central part J of the armor-deck is almost completely covered by the gun-barrel and the barrel-carrier B, when the barrel is in the loading position. In the loading position of the barrel, the rear part of the aperture i is covered by flaps i (shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but omitted in Fig. 3) which by means of a suitable device (not shown) automatically open when the gun-barrel swings out and close when the barrel swings back.

Having now described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A disappearing gun carriage having an armor deck formed to lie below and to lie above the gun barrel when the latter is in loading position, said gun carriage and armor deck being rotatably mounted.

2. A disappearing gun carriage having an connecting the parts lying above and the parts lying below; and means for mounting said gun carriage and armor deck in such manner as to adapt them to be rotated about a common axis.

3. The combination with a disappearing gun barrel and its carriage, of an armor deck having a horizontal part mounted to lie above the gun barrel when the latter is in loading position, a horizontal part mounted. to lie below the gun barrel, when the barrel is in the same position, and an inclined part connecting both horizontal parts; and means for mounting said gun carriage in operative relation with said armor deck in such manner as to adapt them to be rotated about the same vertical axis.

The foregoing specification signed at Bus seldori, Germany, this 2nd day of April, 1907. 

